Bill Kristol: CNN, NYT ‘Pathetic’ for Not Showing Paris Cartoons

CNN and the New York Times are “pathetic” for not showing the cartoons that may have triggered the deadly terrorist attack on a French satirical magazine, says Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard.

“It’s depressing to think about the pathetic reaction of . . . our media and the leftist media over the last several years to previous attempts to intimidate and threaten the people at Charlie Hebdo,” Kristol said Wednesday on “The Steve Malzberg Show” on Newsmax TV.

“You know, they stuck by their guns and they paid an awful price, and now everyone’s saying, ‘Oh, we’re in solidarity with them, we stand with them.’

“But when I read CNN and the New York Times aren’t showing the cartoons and are sort of blocking them out or whatever, it’s really pathetic.”

Kristol said that while nobody is obligated to print the offending cartoons, which depict satirical images of the Prophet Muhammad, “one really has an obligation to stand with them. In this case, we need at least showing the reason they were killed.”

The Wednesday-morning attack occurred when masked gunmen entered the offices of Charlie Hebdo and began executing staff members. Eleven staffers were killed along with one police officer. Three suspects are said to be in custody.

“There’s something about this that makes it more of a direct, political assault on Western civilization . . . so it really demands strong and forceful response even more,” Kristol said.